Did anyone ever come off of Effexor and stay off forever?

[KJ6774]

I have weaned off of Effexor XR slowly over a 4 month period.   I am presently near end of 3 rd month without Effexor, but starting to feel mood changes and not tolerating challenges, starting to cry sometimes.   Is this part of the weaning off or does it mean I may need to go back on low dose of Effexor?

[sara12345]

Wow, unbelievable that the doctor thinks that it can take 4 to 5 months for you to be off of it before you know if you need it.  That is certainly sobering, but does give you hope that you might in fact be able to stop it.  Again, good luck.  And I would be interested to know what you end up doing.

[KJ6774]

Thanks again and I do understand that side of it also,  I will restart if I need it and I do have a new container of Effexor in case I get to that point!  Doctor told me today give it another 1 - 2 months which will be the breaking or making point.    I made it this far and it sounds encouraging at this point.  Thanks again.

[sara12345]

I wish you the best with your quest to stay off of the Effexor, but don't see it as a failure if you really have to go back on.  Remember that depression can be a biological chemical imbalance.  You'll know when the time comes.  Good luck.

[KJ6774]

Thanks for you help.  I had been on Effexor for many years, but decreased dose per Doctor.   I did have a Doctor Specialist in this area help me come off the med very slowly.   I do think since I was on it for so long it may take me longer to adjust.  I may give it a little longer  and see how it goes.  I still have regular checks with the Doc.  He seems to think I may need to go back on eventually also.

[sara12345]

It may be that you need an anti-depressant.  I wasn't aware that the withdrawal could go on for so long, but it could be.  I went off Effexor very gradually over many months.  I had none of the withdrawal symptoms, but then I could not stop crying for a month.  It was clear that I needed the Effexor.  

If you have had depression for awhile before you first went on the Effexor, you probably do need an anti-depressant.  But if you were only depressed for a short amount of time, it could be withdrawal.  Everyone responds differently to withdrawals.  But to give you an example, two of my friends went on and off Effexor without any further depression.  So if you continue to experience depression, I would consider going back on it.  Good luck.

[KJ6774]

Thanks, this is helpful to know,  I'm also recently taking Meloxicam for 15 days due to knees issues and I found out that this can cause mood changes, so I'm thinking maybe this is part of it.  I didn't know withdrawal could take so long, but this is encouraging, because it was going really good for me for a while and this gives me a hope like there's like at the end of the tunnel!  Thanks and the best to you in your progress.

[Anneinside]

Your feeling are not withdrawal symptoms but the return of depression because you stopped taking a drug that appears to have been working. As for going off Effexor, I was on it for two years and went off without tapering. I had some tolerable withdrawal effects for a couple of days, that was all.

[4Maddie44]

I am interested to know this too.  I stopped Effexor 150mg daily cold turkey a few years ago.  I was really well for a year, and all the weight I had put on fell off.

However, like you feel now, I began to feel poorly again, and the doctor put me back on Effexor XR.  That was five years ago.

My doctor is now helping me wean off again.  She said what I felt before could well have been withdrawals - even after one year.  So I am now into the 6th month weaning off, with at least another 6 months to go.  My doctor said the slower the better.  Also less likely to get withdrawal symptoms.

Depression and withdrawals can feel the same, she says.  This time, when I feel poorly, like you do now, I am going to try and ride it out.  No way do I want to go back on Effexor and go through all this withdrawal again.

I am feeling really fine at the moment, no withdrawal symptoms, but I have a way to go yet.

I don't know what to say to you, except do you think you can ride this out, and see how you go?  It could well be withdrawals.

Like you, I would like to know, is there anyone who has stopped Effexor and has never had to go back on it?  

Keep in touch and let us know how you go.